Remembering Jo Ann Serpico
Jo Ann has been immersed in the activities of the community since birth, thanks to the unwavering involvement of her father, Joseph R. Salerno. “My father was a member of every Italian society, club and lodge in the Chicago area,” she fondly recalls. “It’s only natural that I followed his example of promoting Italian values and traditions.” One of...
Fencing mom Arianna Errigo and high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi named Italy’s Olympic flagbearers
A fencing mother of twins and a high-jumping symbol of Italy’s success at the Tokyo Olympics will be the country’s flagbearers at the Paris Games opening ceremony. Arianna Errigo and Gianmarco Tamberi were selected on Monday by the Italian Olympic Committee for the honor at the July 26 ceremony. Errigo, who will be competing in her fourth Olympics,...
The Altarini of Naples. Look for votive shrines in the shadows of Campania's capital
It’s a common cliché, both among Neapolitans and tourists, to say that Naples is the realm of the sacred and profane. This is a definition I don’t really like; it’s a bit like rhetorically associating the city exclusively with the sun and the sea, when one should understand that its richness is almost always hidden in the shadows. My passion for t...
Nutley Commissioner Alphonse Petracco named 2024 Italian American Business Leader
Township of Nutley Commissioner and Department of Public Safety Director Alphonse Petracco was named the 2024 Italian American Business Leader by the Federation of Italian-American Societies of New Jersey last weekend. The Federation, which was founded in 1933 to assist and improve the quality of life of the Italians who came to America from Europe...
Five Canoes Discovered Northwest of Rome Are the Oldest Boats Ever Found in the Mediterranean
For more than 30 years, one of Italy’s most well-hidden archaeological treasures has been an underwater village called La Marmotta. The site, with well-preserved artifacts, was discovered in 1989 in a lake just northwest of Rome and 23 miles upstream from the Mediterranean Sea. Found among its wooden buildings were five canoes, stretching up to 32...
Dalfonso's Italian Imports is a new addition to Buffalo's Five Points neighborhood
Step inside the new Dalfonso's Italian Imports in the heart of Buffalo's Five Points neighborhood and get swept away in a celebration of food, and family. "I want you to feel comfortable like you are walking into a place that has been here for 50 years," said Jeffrey Dalfonso, the owner and operator, "I guess the inspiration really was my family's...
The significant contribution of merchants like Marco Polo to Italian identity
The greatest cultural legacy of Italy is its millennia-long history of intersections, contaminations, influences, mixtures, invasions, immigrations, emigrations, returns, travels, and contacts. From its role as an expansive power to becoming a coveted conquest target, the Italian peninsula has historically been a crucible where peoples, cultures, a...
Traditional Sicilian caretta finds home at the new Caretta Bar at Kern County Museum
The Kern County Museum’s newest structure in Pioneer Village was christened last week by a small gathering of museum supporters, some with family names that are well known in Kern County. Longtime local grape grower George Giumarra was there with his wife, Marcia, and son Jeff. The family, with proud Sicilian roots, was central to Museum Director M...
‘An excess of tourism’: Lake Como to introduce daytripper fee to curb visitor numbers
Lake Como is glitzy, glamorous and engulfed by tourism. The third largest lake in Italy, it sees as many as 1.4 million visitors a year descend on its shores. The tourist numbers are proving overwhelming for the holiday hotspot in northern Italy, and one city is now considering introducing a tourist tax. Mayor of the lakeside city of Como Alessandr...
A delicious way to explore Italian heritage
As far as I know, I don’t have one bit of Italian heritage, but after my experience last weekend I am prepared to be adopted by someone who does. My husband, Mike, and I had the pleasure of attending the Italian Cooking School offered at the Sons and Daughters of Italy lodge in Bellaire on April 8. We had both visited the club on its pasta nights i...
The best rural places to live in Italy
Embark on a journey through Italy's heartland, where the serene rhythms of rural life blend with cultural treasures and breathtaking scenery. This guide is your compass to the most idyllic rural places to live in Italy, tailored for expatriates, nature lovers, and those seeking the golden calm of retirement. While Italy's cities are full of charm a...
Auburn Italian-American group to hold annual St. Joseph feast
The Cultural Italian American Organization will host its annual Feast of St. Joseph the Worker at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, in Nacca Hall at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 303 Clark St., Auburn. The annual event celebrates St. Joseph's (San Giuseppe) the Worker Day on May 1. St. Joseph's Day itself is March 19, honoring the foster father of Jesus and kn...